What Can You Do to Stop Deforestation?

The United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization estimates that an area the size of Panama is cleared in rainforests around the world. That is not accounting for the millions of trees that are cut down on private lands. Trees play a vital role in human lives by supplying timber and fuel. Unfortunately, the demand for these has outstripped the rate at which trees grow making the prospects of mass desertification very real. The disappearance of trees portends ill times for everyone as nasty consequences such as global warming and the accompanying harsh weather start to be felt. How can you play a part in slowing down the rate of disappearance of the backwoods?

Plant a tree or shrub

If you live in the rural areas, you have plenty of space to plant trees. You can consult with the local forestry office for the best species to plant. If you live in the suburbs or urban areas you can organize a campaign to plant trees in public spaces near you. These could be parks, local or federal grounds, public schools etc. ornamental shrubs that can be grown in small spaces, like Bonsai trees also contribute to vegetative cover.

Use recycled products

Recycled products reduce the need to cut trees. There are plenty of products that are made of recycled wood products including tissue paper, cardboard boxes, writing paper, and building blocks and so on. Make a point of verifying if a product is 100% recycled or has a high percentage of recycled products before buying.

Improve the recycling process by separating your waste at home and setting apart items that can be recycled for taking to the recycling dump.

Boycott produce from deforested lands

Huge areas of forests are cleared to make way for agriculture. This includes big farm plantations growing soy beans, peanuts and palm oil. Forested lands are also cleared to make way for grazing pasture. By boycotting this produce, you do your bit to discourage those who cut down the forests.

Go paperless

You could reduce the amount of paper you handle by as much as 90%. This begins at work where you could prefer to keep records and documents in softcopy instead of printing. At home, you can read the digital versions of newspapers and paperback novels instead of buying printed copies.

Start an online campaign or join one

There are many organizations working towards promoting sustainable use of environmental resources. You can help by spreading their message by sharing on your social media networks. You can also donate funds to keep the good work going